3 Ways To Reduce Pain Without Taking Pain-Relief Medications

Health & Medical Blog

While pain medication can be helpful in bringing down swelling and reducing intense pain following an injury, not all people want to remain on pain medications for long-term pain management. Here are three ways to reduce your back pain naturally, giving your body time to heal without the need for additional drugs. 

Exercise for Pain Relief

While it may feel counter-intuitive to exercise when you're in pain, it can be a great help in reducing pain and helping the body heal. When you exercise, endorphins are released. These endorphins help relieve stress and anxiety, depression, and other conditions that can make your pain feel even worse than it is. 

Endorphins are released during any exercise over a prolonged period, so if you don't feel comfortable running because of pain, try arm exercises or swimming in its place. Find an exercise that you can do without too much pain, and it will help you in the long run. 

Try Heat Therapy

Heat therapy is another way you can reduce pain. Heat works to do several things. It can:

• Increase circulation to the area causing you discomfort, helping improve blood flow and help healing. 
• Reduce tightness around an injury
• Reduce bruising

You can use either a low-level heat over a long period of time, like when you use a heat wrap or heated blanket, or try 20 minutes in a hot tub or bath for whole body relaxation using warmer temperatures.

Get a Massage

Massages offer pain-reducing benefits without the side effects drugs can have. High-quality massages may work deep into the tissues of the body, helping release tension and stress. 

Massage helps release endorphins, brings oxygen and blood to the area being worked on (this increases circulation), and can help reduce stress through human touch. 

Try adding hot stones to your massage for additional heat on sore areas. If the massage is too deep or an area is too tender, you only have to ask the therapist to slow down or reduce the pressure of the massage. The best part is that your body should feel looser and more relaxed following a massage, helping you feel more at ease, get better sleep, and heal. 

These are just a few suggestions for how to reduce your pain without continuing pain medications. While medications can help for a while, the long-term solution that works for you may be one of these at-home techniques. 

For more information, contact Bronx Physical Therapy LLP or a similar organization.

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6 March 2015